Margaret S. Collins

Margaret S. Collins (September 4, 1922[1] – April 27, 1996) was an African-American child prodigy, entomologist (zoologist) specializing in the study of termites, and a civil rights advocate. Collins was nicknamed the "Termite Lady" because of her extensive research on termites.

Quotes

• I ruined Christmas for everyone because I couldn’t figure out how a reindeer could fly. I mean, they just aren’t built for flying, anyone could see that. So I had to reject either the truthfulness of adults or the conclusions of my own mind.
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• Because of my family and our community, my childhood was unique. I never learned what I couldn’t do — as a child, as a woman, or as a black person.
  • [2]
• I had to do what I thought was the most important thing.
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• A lot of people opposed our civil rights efforts. I had to do what I thought was the most important thing. That’s all there was to it.
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